Have a question about social care, the campaign, or current government policy? Here are the questions we hear most often.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Get in touch on info@careaboutcare.org

About social care

What is social care?

Social care is support for people who need help with everyday life. That can include personal care at home, support to get out into the community, or specialist care in residential settings. It exists to help people live safely, well, and as independently as possible. It’s separate from the NHS, but the two work side by side.

Who uses social care?

Around 860,000 people in England receive regulated social care, and over 2 million people requested support last year. One in four people over 65 need help with everyday tasks like bathing or dressing. But the reach is wider than that — three in five of us will care for someone we love at some point in our lives.

Is social care the same as the NHS?

No. The NHS provides healthcare and is free at the point of use. Social care is means-tested, often paid for by individuals or local councils, and delivered mostly by independent providers — small businesses, charities, and family-run services. The two systems are deeply connected: when social care is underfunded, NHS hospitals fill up with people who could be cared for at home or in the community.

Who provides social care in Britain?

Around 80% of adult social care providers in England are small or single-site businesses, often family-run and rooted in their local communities. There are around 18,000 providers across the country, employing 1.6 million people — more than the NHS workforce.

Who pays for social care?

Social care in England is funded through a mix of sources, and this is one of the biggest differences between social care and the NHS. The NHS is funded by central government and free at the point of use. Social care is not.

Funding comes from three main places. Local councils commission and pay for care for people who qualify for state support, using money raised through council tax, business rates, and grants from central government. Individuals and their families pay for care themselves if they don’t qualify for council funding – often known as “self-funders.” And the NHS funds a smaller share, mainly for people with complex health needs through Continuing Healthcare.

In practice, this means the cost of care falls heavily on individuals, on families, and on already-stretched local council budgets. It’s a system that surprises most people the first time they encounter it.

About the campaign

What is Care About Care?

Care About Care is a public campaign to make social care a national priority. We want the Government to invest in care workers, in the people who need care, and in the local providers who deliver it. The campaign is run by Providers Unite, a coalition of care providers across the UK, with initial funding from the National Care Association.

Why launch this campaign now?

Social care has been overlooked by successive Governments for more than 20 years. Reform has often been promised, and sometimes even legislated for, but consistently Government’s have failed to deliver the change, and the funding, the sector needs to thrive.

The Casey Commission is currently developing a long-term plan, due in 2028, but its recommendations won’t take effect for years – if at all. Millions of people need a working care system today, and the system we have now needs investment to survive long enough for any future plan to make a difference.

Who is behind the campaign?

Care About Care is an initiative of Providers Unite, a coalition of care providers, care workers, families, and supporters who believe Britain deserves a care system it can be proud of.

Is this a political campaign?

We are not aligned with any political party. Social care has been neglected under successive Governments of every colour. We’re calling on whoever is in power to act because the people who rely on care can’t afford to wait for the next election.

What do we want to achieve?

What is Care About Care actually asking for?

We have three demands. First, a tax cut on care work with that money then reinvested in delivering an immediate pay rise for care workers. This could be done by giving the social care sector the same National Insurance relief the Government already provides to apprentices, veterans, and freeport businesses. Second, fair funding for care, based on an independently calculated ‘cost of care’, so that the fees that care providers are paid by the Government actually reflect the cost of running high-quality care services. Third, the introduction of a ‘British Care Fund’ that would provide grant funding to back infrastructure upgrades to local, community-based providers rather than overseas investors.

Why do you want to cut National Insurance for care employers?

Because it’s currently taking money out of care workers’ pockets. The recent Employer National Insurance increase has cost the sector billions of pounds – money that could otherwise have gone into care worker wages, training, and improving the care services for the people that need them. Reversing it for frontline care workers would deliver around £1 billion per year to the organisations that employ care workers, and this could then be ringfenced to deliver an immediate pay rise that reinvests in the workforce. The mechanism already exists; the Government just needs to apply it to care workers.

What does “fair cost of care” mean?

It means funding care services based on what care actually costs to deliver – including covering the costs of properly trained staff, safe accommodation, 24/7 support – rather than what the Treasury is willing to pay. The Government already knows the true cost – a fair cost of care exercise was undertaken by every Council in XXX. However, despite calculating the fair cost of care, the Government has then chosen not to fund it. Right now, the state pays as little as £7 an hour for someone’s care. That has to cover care worker wages, training, accommodation, meals, heating and electricity, and a wide range of other overheads. It simply isn’t enough to deliver a high-quality care system for the people who need it.

What is the British Care Fund?

It’s a proposed Government fund that would offer grants to small, British-owned care providers so they can invest in their services – such as renovating or expanding a care home, adopting new technology, or introducing more advanced training and qualifications for care workers. It would help keep care local, rather than letting more of the sector be bought up by overseas investors.

Why focus on overseas ownership of care homes?

This isn’t about nationality, it’s about priorities. One American investment company now owns more than 10% of UK care homes. When local providers close because of underinvestment, it’s often offshore investors who buy them up. Local providers reinvest in the communities they serve and pay taxes in the UK. They care deeply about the people they support and teams they employ. Distant investors answer to shareholders. We want a care system that works for the people who need support, not investors and speculators.

About the politics

Hasn’t the Government promised a National Care Service?

Yes, but the initial plan for the National Care Service won’t be published until 2028, and many experts expect it to take around a decade to implement. That means the plan would need to survive at least two General Elections, and any change of Government. Altogether, we think ten years is too long for the millions of people who need care today, and for the small providers struggling to stay open right now. We support long-term reform, including the work of the Casey Commission, but reform has to be matched with immediate investment. Otherwise, the system won’t survive long enough for any plan to take effect.

What is the Casey Commission?

The Casey Commission, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, is the most significant review of social care in a generation. It’s developing the blueprint for a National Care Service. We welcome the work, but it must be backed by Government action now, not used as a reason to delay.

What is the Fair Pay Agreement, and why isn’t it enough?

The Fair Pay Agreement (FPA) is a planned framework that would set minimum pay, hours, and conditions for adult social care workers in England. While we welcome it, the Agreement doesn’t come into effect until 2028. The Government has committed just £500m to the first agreement – that’s just 20p per hour per care worker – and wider Government tax changes means care workers will actually be worse off in 2028 due to frozen Income Tax and National Insurance thresholds. In other words, the £500m the Government is putting in only offsets part of the estimated £1.4bn additional tax care workers will pay.

Where will the money come from?

Investing in care saves money elsewhere. A working care system relieves pressure on the NHS, keeps unpaid family carers in work, and supports local economies. Social care contributes £77.8 billion to the UK economy each year – more than tourism, telecoms, or entertainment. The real cost is failing to invest.

Aren’t there bigger priorities?

Social care is one of the biggest priorities, even if it doesn’t always feel like it. Without a working care system, the NHS comes under unsustainable pressure, families can’t go to work, and communities lose vital local employers. Care underpins almost every other public service, so investing in it makes everything else work better.

How can I get involved?

We’re glad you asked! There are a number of ways you can support the Care About Care campaign and help drive change:

• Sign the campaign letter to your MP – Make your voice heard by calling on your local MP to take action on social care.
• Join the movement – Add your name and stay updated on campaign activity.
• Spread the word – Share the campaign with friends, family, and on social media to help build momentum. The more people who truly understand the importance of care to people, the economy, and all our communities the more likely it is that politicians will ask.